The Los Angeles Dodgers kept rolling on Tuesday night, taking down the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 in a late-season matchup. That win let them hang onto their thin one-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.
Clayton Kershaw, still crafty as ever, anchored the team with a gutsy performance. A sixth-inning surge from the offense pushed the Dodgers ahead, and the game felt like it could matter come October.
At 37, Clayton Kershaw keeps proving that you don’t need a blazing fastball to dominate. Even with his velocity down, he tossed five innings and allowed just one run.
Kershaw retired the last 14 batters he faced. His mix of sliders, curveballs, and splitters kept Cincinnati’s hitters on their toes all night.
He finished with six strikeouts on just 72 pitches. August’s been kind to him—he’s got a 1.88 ERA this month.
With this outing, he moved to 9-2 on the year and lowered his ERA to 3.06. The Dodgers clearly lean on his experience as the playoffs approach.
The Dodgers’ offense started steady. After giving up an early run, they tied it in the first inning.
Teoscar Hernández and Michael Conforto came through with key hits in the fourth, and Kiké Hernández drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The real fireworks, though, came in the sixth inning.
Leading by just a run, the Dodgers exploded for four in the sixth. That rally put the game out of reach for Cincinnati.
Will Smith kicked things off with a much-needed home run—he’s been ice-cold at the plate lately. Miguel Rojas followed up with a two-run double.
Shohei Ohtani added an RBI single to finish the rally. Suddenly, the Dodgers had breathing room.
- Will Smith’s first homer in weeks breaks out of slump
- Miguel Rojas delivers clutch extra-base hit
- Ohtani adds insurance with a timely RBI
The bullpen’s been solid lately, and that continued. Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott each threw a scoreless inning to keep the Reds at bay.
Ben Casparius did give up a two-run homer to Austin Hays in the seventh, but the lead never felt in danger.
There was a bit of bad news, though. Before the game, the Dodgers put lefty reliever Alex Vesia on the injured list with an oblique strain.
No one’s sure yet how long he’ll be out. Vesia’s been a big part of the bullpen, so his absence will test the team’s depth.
On the farm, top pitching prospect Roki Sasaki kept working his way back with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Japanese righty flashed good velocity but gave up three runs in 3 â…” innings.
Still, just seeing Sasaki healthy and pitching again is a good sign. The Dodgers are clearly thinking about both now and what’s coming next.
Postseason Picture Heating Up
This victory keeps Los Angeles just ahead of the Padres in one of baseball’s closest division races. Every game feels bigger as September creeps closer.
The Dodgers are juggling veteran leadership, clutch offense, and the growth of their young players. They’re still clinging to those championship dreams, but it’s a tightrope walk.
Kershaw showed his usual craft on the mound tonight. Will Smith brought a much-needed jolt, and the lineup chipped in with solid depth to get past the Reds.
Here is the source article for this story: Clayton Kershaw is masterful again in Dodgers’ win over Reds
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